The Senate Thursday constituted a 20-member committee, heade by Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Banidele with a view to planning a national summit on security challenges confronting the country.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced the committee during the plenary after a majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.
Akpabio said the committee would be chaired by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) while Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC Kebbi North) will serve as vice chairman.
Other members of the committee are Ireti Kingibe (FCT), Adebule Idiat (Lagos), Barinada Mpigi (Rivers), Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa), Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo), Osita Ngwu (Enugu), Tahir Monguno (Borno), Titus Zam (Benue), Ahmed Lawan (Yobe), Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun),
Austin Akobundu (Abia), Shehu Buba (Bauchi), Ahmed Madori (Jigawa), Emmanuel Udende (Benue), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Shuaib Salisu (Ogun), Isah Jibrin (Kogi), and the Clerk of the Senate, Andrew Nwoba.
The committee’s primary objective is to design the framework for the proposed national summit, including setting the agenda, identifying key discussion points, and proposing actionable strategies to effectively tackle Nigeria’s security lapses.
The Senate President directed the committee to submit its report within two weeks.
…Stiffer penalties
In the same vein, the Senate Thursday considered stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders.
President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, disclosed this while declaring open a two- day investigative public hearing on incessant and nefarious acts of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta organised by the Senator Ned Nwoko-led Ad-hoc committee.
Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, Akpabio said the 10th National Assembly would not stand by while the country’s economy bleeds.
“We are prepared to strengthen laws, enhance oversight, and ensure that agencies responsible for protecting our oil assets are held accountable.
“Specifically, we will consider stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders, mandatory digital metering and real-time monitoring of all oil production and exports, greater transparency in crude oil lifting and revenue reporting, enhanced collaboration between the military, police, NSCDC, EFCC, and international partners to track and intercept stolen crude,” he said.
He added that the fight against crude oil theft cannot be left to government alone as such oil companies must invest in modern surveillance technology and secure pipelines.
He stated further that host communities must see themselves as first-line defenders of these assets and not victims or accomplices and security agencies must demonstrate zero tolerance for complicity.
“To the criminals stealing our crude oil, your time is up. To the agencies tasked with protecting our resources, the nation is watching. And to this ad-hoc committee, the Senate expects nothing less than a robust, no-holds-barred report that will guide decisive legislative and executive actions. It is time to take back what belongs to Nigeria,” he added.
He commended the Senate ad-hoc committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), for convening the public hearing
“Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains the lifeblood of our economy, accounting for over 80% of government revenue and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Yet, for decades, we have watched in dismay as criminal syndicates, both foreign and domestic, continue to siphon our crude oil with brazen impunity.
“Recent reports indicate that Nigeria loses between 150,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft, a staggering hemorrhage that translates to billions of dollars in lost revenue annually,” he stated.